Imagine a business landscape where entrepreneurial endeavour and risk taking is rewarded to the hilt, where government interference through regulation and red tape is kept to a minimum, and where enthusiasm and innovation is encouraged at every turn. Sounds a bit too good to be true? Not in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)!

NEW YORK, US: Consumer confidence fell in 25 out of 52 countries in Q4 2010 as hope for a global economic recovery evaporated at the end of last year, according to the latest edition of the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index, which tracks consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among online consumers.